Governor Scott Walker is apparently not ready to make a decision, on a bill dealing with Indian mascots. The bill (AB 297) is ready to be signed into law but Walker said Wednesday that he’s been more focused on other issues in recent weeks.
“I’ll certainly look at it, because the legislature sent it to me, but I’ve had a higher priority in these other pieces of legislation,” Walker said, noting that he has until a week from Friday to make a decision on the bill.
The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council has issued a statement urging the governor to veto the bill. Walker said he hasn’t seen that, but is well aware of tribal opposition to the measure. He meets quarterly with leaders of Wisconsin tribes and said “they made their opinion pretty clear” at the last meeting.
The bill would drastically revise current state law, making it much more difficult – some say virtually impossible – to force local school districts to drop race based mascots and nicknames.